Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds preview, Tuesday 5/24, 5:40 CT

Tuesday notes...

• A RECORD COULD BE TIED TONIGHT: Patrick Wisdom has homered in four straight games. The franchise record for such things is five, held by Sammy Sosa (1998), Ryne Sandberg (1989) and Hack Wilson (1928).
• MORE ON HOME RUNS: The Cubs have homered in nine of 10 games since May 14, totaling 17 homers, tied for the most in the majors during that stretch. And, the Cubs have hit multiple home runs in each of the last four games.
• IAN HAPP-ENING IN CINCINNATI: Happ’s lifetime numbers in 35 games at GABP: .351 BA (40-for-114), nine doubles, one triple, 14 homers and 29 RBI, a .456 on-base OBP and .816 SLG, good for a 1.272 OPS. It’s not just there, either; lifetime vs. the Reds, Happ has hit .304/.412/.696 with 23 home runs in 71 games.
• AND EVEN MORE HAPP-ENINGS: Including his three-run homer in Monday’s win, Ian Happ has hit a home run in each of his last six games against the Reds. Happ is the first player in Cubs franchise history to homer in six consecutive games versus a particular team. (H/T: Elias Sports Bureau)

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Reds lineup:

Marcus Stroman, RHP vs. Tyler Mahle, RHP

USA TODAY NETWORK

USA TODAY NETWORK

Marcus Stroman came back from an 18-day layoff due to COVID and threw well last Thursday at Wrigley Field.

Last three starts: 2.00 ERA, 0.778 WHIP, only one walk in 18 innings. That’s the Stroman the Cubs thought they were signing.

His last start against the Reds (also his last at GABP), July 21, 2021, was excellent: eight one-hit innings, seven strikeouts. Another one like that, please.

Tyler Mahle, like a lot of the Reds, is off to a terrible start this year, though like Stroman, he’s been better over his last three starts: 2.60 ERA, 0.750 WHIP.

In five starts vs. the Cubs last year he posted a 4.15 ERA and 1.346 WHIP, with six home runs allowed in 26 innings. Only one of those homers was hit by a current Cub, though: Ian Happ. Perhaps Happ can have some more GABP fun tonight.

Statcast

Statcast

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. Here’s a list of providers currently carrying Marquee. It’s also on MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Reds market territories).

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter. If you do go there to interact with Reds fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2022 Game Thread procedure will be like last years, similar to what we’ve used for Spring Training.

You’ll find the game preview posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game, including the First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread, as well as the recap when it’s published. The recap will also live on the front page as a separate post.

You will also be able to find the preview, First Pitch Thread and the overflow thread in the box marked “Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page (you can also find them in this section link). The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

The First Pitch thread will post at five minutes before game time, then an overflow thread at 90 minutes after the scheduled game time.

Discuss amongst yourselves.